This documents solutions for compassionate people, charity organization or government agency to help homeless move off homelessness. Mr. Cheng has years of person to person experience helping hundreds of homeless to get off street in Greater New York area and remotely through Internet. He has published thousands of solutions on homeless issues. He is a hands on homeless expert helping homeless people to get off street in the United States using his own money.
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Hotel rate is very expensive to the homeless, especially, go by daily rate. For example, the Daily Rate for Stadium Inn at Nashville TN used by Kevin Barbieux mentioned in The Homeless Guy on Wednesday, August 21 costs $47 a night, however, the weekly rate is only $112 ($16 a night) and monthly will become $440 ($14 a night). So, it would make much sense if one willing to help a homeless to stay in hotel, paying weekly or monthly is making much more economic sense.
I usually would help extend the stay for homeless people at Hotel Richmond at Staten Island NYCfrom daily rate to weekly rate. For example, Eddie and Cathy couple used to panhandle at Maine Ln near Wall Street of Manhattan, and once in a while they can afford to stay 2 nights at Hotel Richmond at $35 a night, but then I found out the weekly rate was only $150 a week, so I normally would go with them and copay another $80 to extend from two days to a week. To me, it is $16 per extra day for them, and $8 per extra day for each person. Besides, on the same street of Hotel Richmond, there is soup kitchen of Project Hospitality and Staten Island Library, and walk to Staten Island Ferry that is FREE and 24 x 7 to Manhanttan; it is very convenient.
Use Email and Yahoo Instant Messenger to Help Homeless
Many homeless people have access to computer, and using email and Yahoo Instant Messenger is very cost effective way to help homeless people.
Together with blog, it could be very effectively tracking all the communication with the homeless person being help and can work as a team remotely to help the homeless to move off street and keep moving up. For example, Rose at Sycamore ILhas been helped by people in New Jersey and California through a connection at Schaumburg IL.
Recently, I have found the fantacy of creating one blog for each homeless I have been helping and keep track of their progress. For example, I have created one for Joe at Jersey City that I helped each day on the way home. I took him to Modell and bought him sleeping bag, duffle bag, sweat shirt, socks, glove...etc. I gave him wallet with emergency money, I showed him how to use Yahoo email and created him an account ...etc.
In the Homeless Crisis article, it seems there is NO other way to resolve the recent homeless issues in the New York City. On the other hand, there are lots of vacant houses in rural area like Hazleton PA and many other cities that population has been decreasing. The solution is really to help homeless people, especially those at the bottom sleeping outdoors to relocate to those cities providing the relocation cost. There are many cities like Fresno CA has been very successful in relocation the homeless people to other places where they will be able to find a job and afford a housing.
Fund Raising with Restaurants, Hotels and Movie Theathers
I ofthen think that getting people together to help homeless is hard and not that effective, but if get people together to have a party, then it would be much easier. So here is another successful story Homeless shelter raises over $40,000 at fundraiser that bring people together to have party and try out various restaurants in town while raising some money for the homeless. There are lots of vacant hotel rooms during winter, and it could be also a good fund raising tool. Get hotels to involve to digest those surplus so that people called in can take advantage of the surplus while making some contributions to the homeless.
Last time when I took my family to Bridgewater Commons Mall Theather to watch Jacky Chen's "Tuxedo", there were only my family and another couple behind, and the show room can accomodate at least two hundreds people. I was thinking what a waste on the facility. It would be a good idea for homeless avocate or charity organization to contract with the theater to buy tickets in volume, say, 10,000 tickets at $1 per ticket, and that way not only the theater can make $10,000 extra income, but the charity organization can sell the tickets at $4, half price throught its channel to students, for example, and raise $30,000 for the homeless. Basically, business surplus is a good resource to raise fund for the homeless.
Let Homeless Sleep Inside the Church, Not Outside the Church
I just wrote another letter to New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, in respond to another news COPS RIP MIKE ON HOMELESS I really believe the win win situation is urge all the churches let the homeless sleep INSIDE the churches, rather than outsite at the steps or even parking lots. Every time when I delivered sleeping bags with my wife and 4 sons, I was always wondering why not just let the homeless sleeping inside the church since inside is warmer and no one use the churches during sleeping hours anyway. I felt particuarly heart broken is when I delivered sleeping bags to homeless sleeping on the parking lot of churches like St Johns Church at Newark near Penn Station; they lied down like cars parking on the lots. I felt that if I were the God, I would feel very upset seeing that especially during raining nights. Here is the letter.
Dear Mayor, Reading the article in http://www.nypost.com/commentary/ 62178.htm I understand that New York City was trying to get the homeless people out of sight because Xmas is coming; on the other hand, there is a court order that police should not bother the homeless people sleeping on the steps outside churches. Every time I delievered sleeping bags to the homeless people sleeping on the street outside the church; I felt very sympathetic to the homeless sleeping outdoors and was wondering why the church would NOT open the door and let them sleeping inside. It would be a win win situation to ask the church to let the homeless sleep inside the church rather than at the steps of doors, that way NYPD do not have to bother the homeless, and there is no eyesore of the homeless sleeping outdoor. How do you think? Cheng
Provide 24 x 7 Service Center for the Homeless on Street
I just wrote a letter to New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, in respond to today's news Police arresting homeless at greater rate just like I respond to all mayors in the US should there be a homeless news that I monitor daily on hundreds of newspaper show up. Here is the letter:
Dear Mayor, I am very concerned about the arrest of homeless people reported on the news today http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny- bc-ny--homelessarrests1114nov14,0,2085927.story?coll=ny-ap-regional- wire I have been helping hundreds of homeless people to get off street using my own hard earn money, and I deliver sleeping bags to homeless people sleeping on the street in Greater New York area. I took them to breakfast and lunch and try to help them, and I have been very successful. On the other hand, I can feel their pain at the first hand experience, and I am very sympatheic to them and wish I could have done more to help them all get off street. Sometimes, the life for them is so difficult on the street, and people discriminate them instead of giving them a hand. I know you are a very good mayor and have done lots things for homeless families by increasing sheltors from 2,000 to 8,000 ... I wish you could provide the homeless on the street a safe place on a 24 x 7 basis so that they do not have to stay on street ...
Help the Homeless Find Affordable Housing and Jobs
I just came across this message from Homeless.Org saying finding affordable housing and jobs are the most important help to the homeless.
It has been reported that the types of assistance homeless adults felt they needed were help finding a job, help finding affordable housing, and help paying for housing. However, the main types of assistance they usually received were clothing, transportation and help with public benefits. Few homeless actually receive help finding housing, likely because caregivers know its unaffordable or otherwise unattainable for people of their social status.
In fact, while I take the homeless to breakfast or lunch and give them New York City subway pass and cash assistance, the major focus is always finding them an affordable housing, and a furnished room in a private house is a very effective start. I not only provide reference to the landlord and guarantee the rent. I also try to help them to find a job through Labor Ready or all sorts of recruting firms or Internet jobsites. Before they can be on their own feet, I continue to take them to lunch or dinner and give them critical support. What I have done, in fact, is the most cost effective way and what most of the homeless really need.
Below is the reply from Mayor of San Francisco to my suggestions on Proposition N and homeless solutions, and he agrees almost all except hesitating to increase tax on alcohol and cigarettes afraid that business could lost to neighborhood. I have replied and quoted the statistics of New York City, after increasing tax 20 times of cigarettes from 8 cents to $1.50 per pack that drove the price of Marlboro from $5 to $7.50, and the sales of cigarettes of New York City plunged 50% right away, but the tax income surged $70 millions.
Subject: Re: Dear Mayor, here is my solution for homeless issue in San Francisco...
To: "Mr. Cheng"
From: "DaMayor Mayor" | This is Spam | Add to Address Book
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2002 16:48:04 -0800
Mr. Cheng:
I appreciate your interest, I do think your solution to homelessness in San Francisco is workable at this time.
Although the City has excellent programs and many success stories, San Francisco cannot do it alone. We need statewide programs,
resources and regional policies mandated by the state so that San Francisco is not a magnet for those in need of services. New York City gets
hundreds of millions of dollars in assistance from New York State, whereas we have not received significant assistance from the State of
California. That may be changing, however, with Governor Davis recently announcing
that Bay Area social service agencies would receive $8.1 million in
grants to help people
in the region with housing as well as other services. San Francisco's
share is expected to be $2.6 million.
This fiscal year (2001-2002) San Francisco faced a revenue
shortfall of $175 million. In 2002-2003 we are expecting a revenue
shortfall of $150 million. Some of this is attributable to the severe
downtown in the tourism industry, and so I am not as sure as you are that this sector would be "happy" to pay the extra taxes you suggest. In fact,
many in industries related to tourism are having a very difficult time. As for increasing taxes on alcohol, that will only inspire people
to shop out of town where the taxes are not, thus creating fewer, rather
than more, sales locally.
In any case, thank you for your input.
Sincerely,
Mayor Willie Brown
Dear Mayor,
As an homeless issue expert helping hundreds of thousands of homeless
people get off street in Greater New York Area, I have the
following solution to solve homeless problem of San Francisco.
Cheng
----------------------
Solutions to Homeless Problem of Cities like San Francisco
I have been monitoring the Proposition N news for a while
till the result came out today. Basically, it is an argument of
various of proposals of distribution of the existing insufficent funding of either to be cash assistance or providing service to the homeless.
Since it is a zero sum types of thinking and proposals, no matter what
the result is, there remain major defects of the homeless solution
Proposition N trying to provide. It is also a unfair way of making this
decision since homeless and avocate population is far less than other citizens
who are not well educated about the painfulness of being a
homeless.
Since the overall funding is insufficient, the correct
thinking should be toward obtaining sufficient funding, and one major
concern is the
homeless visibility on tourism industry and restaruant
business and the
homeless spending on alcohol; it would be fair to assume that levy a
special tax from hotels, restaurants, liquor stores and cigarettes
...etc to raise the funding to help homeless to get off
street. Who are the most benefit groups when homeless people get off street
with their own home? The Tourism Industry, the restaurants, and any
tourist
related activities, so I am sure they would be happy to pay extra tax
to make that happened. Who suck the most part of the cash
assistance to the homeless? Alcohol industry. So, why not make them pay
extra tax to offset the losed funding from homeless to them? This is
similar to the damage cigarettes cause to the health. Increae the tax and restrict the
area to consume to minimize the damage if can not eliminate
them all together. Suspend the cash assistance from those few who got caught substance abused.
Once there is sufficient funding to deal with homeless
issues; the city government could both provide cash assistance to the
homeless and provide the necessary services and care to the homeless.
The city government could futher encourage the tourism industry and
the restaurants to provide jobs to the homeless people, and
once the cash assistance is increased to a level where $600 per month residential
hotel or furnished room are affordable, I am sure most of
the homeless
would be able to get off street permanently. With years
experience of
helping hundreds of thousands of homeless people get off
street in Greater New York area using no donated money, I know my
expert suggestion is fresh and workable.
In Thursday, November 7, 2002 Voice-mail box for homeless and poor faces funding loss, it is talking about the award winning voice mail system using by 30,000 homeless people across the nation since 1991. I have to say, it is a good chance for social services or any individual or charity organizations who help homeless to accept the fact that a cell phone is a must for the homeless, NOT voice mail system.
I used to communicate with the homeless I helped in Greater New York area with email and gave them phone card, but I have to admit, cell phone is the best solution. Cell phone was very expensive until this two years when one can make unlimited phone calls during weekend and night hours for a fixed monthly fee.
Every homeless with cell phone, I am able to contact them as soon as I locate the resource for them, and it ends up I was able to get them off street very quick. Some ex homeless could contact me easily as soon as they got hit to be homeless again, and I was able to take quick action to help them not falling back to street. Cell phone is the key.
Every sheltor or social services could equip Nextel and loan their customers (ie. homeless or low income) a Nextel cell phone so that they could be reached throught direct call, and it is free. Voice mail is good to certain point, but cell phone would definitely get them off street and find a job or home much faster. So, the cost of using cell phone itself is well justified.
Solutions to Homeless Problem of Cities like San Francisco
I have been monitoring the Proposition N news for a while till the result came out today. Basically, it is an argument of various of proposals of distribution of the existing insufficent funding of either to be cash assistance or providing service to the homeless. Since it is a zero sum types of thinking and proposals, no matter what the result is, there remain major defects of the homeless solution Proposition N trying to provide. It is also a unfair way of making this decision since homeless and avocate population is far less than other citizens who are not well educated about the painfulness of being a homeless.
Since the overall funding is insufficient, the correct thinking should be toward obtaining sufficient funding, and one major concern is the homeless visibility on tourism industry and restaruant business and the homeless spending on alcohol; it would be fair to assume that levy a special tax from hotels, restaurants, liquor stores and cigarettes ...etc to raise the funding to help homeless to get off street. Who are the most benefit groups when homeless people get off street with their own home? The Tourism Industry, the restaurants, and any tourist related activities, so I am sure they would be happy to pay extra tax to make that happened. Who suck the most part of the cash assistance to the homeless? Alcohol industry. So, why not make them pay extra tax to offset the losed funding from homeless to them? This is similar to the damage cigarettes cause to the health. Increae the tax and restrict the area to consume to minimize the damage if can not eliminate them all together. Suspend the cash assistance from those few who got caught substance abused.
Once there is sufficient funding to deal with homeless issues; the city government could both provide cash assistance to the homeless and provide the necessary services and care to the homeless. The city government could futher encourage the tourism industry and the restaurants to provide jobs to the homeless people, and once the cash assistance is increased to a level where $600 per month residential hotel or furnished room are affordable, I am sure most of the homeless would be able to get off street permanently. With years experience of helping hundreds of thousands of homeless people get off street in Greater New York area using no donated money, I know my expert suggestion is fresh and workable.
File Class Action to Remove Common Barriers to Prevent Homeless from Getting Off Street
The most powerful means to help homeless people is "Class Action" to Remove Barriers that prevent Homeless from getting off street. For example, PSE&G in New Jersey, and similar engergy service provides across nation, charges$300 deposit to homeless people or low income families in order to provide electric and gas service. This is one big barrier to them; it happens to my tenants, and it happened to many people mentioned in The Homeless Guy .
Other Example like Verizon in New Jersey, and similar phone companies across nation, charge $100 deposit to homeless or low income families to start their phone service. This is another big barrier. There are many other things, that, through Class Action, would be most cost effective way to remove those barrier to prevent the homeless from getting off street and moving up.
Ask Your Mayor to Try Homeless Life to Improve Homeless Services
Every time I saw either mayor or the President serving in the soup kitchen on TV during Thanksgiving, I felt they should try to wait in line of soup kitchen during any regular day, especially, raining or snowing day, or sleep in one of the single man sheltor annonimously; that way, they will have the first hand desperated feeling of the homeless being served by them and able to be knowledgable to provide a better homeless service to them, or trying their best to get them off homeless life. Everyone who would like to help the homeless could just write their mayor, house rep, senator, governor or even the President and ask them to experience a homeless life in a soup kitchen and sleep a few nights in sheltor. Here is my share of asking mayor of the New York City to do so, and I received his response as below.
Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2002 11:38:29 -0400
From: "The Mayor of the City of New York" To: "Cheng" Subject: Re: Homeless Services (2002-10-23 11:38:29.109)
Dear Mr. Cheng,
Thank you for your recent letter and for sharing your concerns about the homeless.
My administration is dedicated to reaching out to less fortunate New Yorkers and guiding them toward the goal of independent living. Alongside many public and private agencies, Commissioner Linda Gibbs and the Department of Homeless Services strive to create a continuum of care and provide shelter for homeless people in a safe, supportive environment.
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me. Please know that I value your involvement as we work together to build a better New York.
Sincerely
Michael R. Bloomberg
Mayor
-----Original Message -----
From: Cheng (wjcheng@yahoo.com)
Sent: 2002-08-19 17:08:34.61
To: The Mayor of the City of New York
Subject: Homeless Services
Dear Mayor,
I am glad that you increased homeless sheltors from 2000 to 8000. I wish that YOU or your head officier of NYC homeless office to stay overnight at one of the single sheltors; that you will be able to have the first hand experience of the pain of single man homeless.
I personally helping homeless people sleeping on the street for past years using my own money; I gave out 2000 sleeping bags each year.
If you or your Head homeless officer could pretend single homeless man, which is always with the lowest priority, you will learn the unforgetable experience of the pain of hundreds of thousands single homeless man in the city.
Dear Mayor, you have done a great job taking Subway yourself and found out the heat in subway station; that's why many of us like you very much.
Would you try to stand in line of soup kitchen to eat with the homeless without letting anyone knowing you are Major?
Let Desperated Tenant Break the Lease and Give Cash Credit to Unemployed Tenants
Recently, I had another tenant who is the president of a consulting firm. He called me that he had to break the lease and return the condo back to me because his consultants from 36 down to 14 and projected to be 6 next year, and his company could not afford to hold the condo and use it as guest house of his consulting firm. I asked him to meet at the condo right away and talk it through and asked him to get all the stuff out and clean it up as soon as possible, and I released his responsibility to continue paying rent because I can feel that he had his hand full and his company has much less income and more overhead.
I then sent out a for rent offer to a list of hundreds of emails offering $200 credit to people who are unemployed and desperated looking to move and can move in the condo right away. I got people respond the next day and want to take the condo. I promised as long as the tenant is unemployed, I will honor the $200 credit.
It is important to act quick so that no vacancy or very little vacancy of the condo because even if the condo is vacant, the bank still collect mortgage payment from the landlord, and the government still collect the property tax, and condo association still charge maintenance fee. If the vacancy could be minimized, and $200 credit to prospective unemployed tenant could help those who would otherwise become homeless due to no job. The advertisement cost will be zero throught an email referral and no credit check could not only safe the cost but also help those who do not have perfect credit to be able to move right in. And I use a standard lease that also save the atterney fee. Of course, I would not be able to paint the unit or replace the carpet, but I promise the tenant to do it as soon as they find a job and pay me normal rent; in the mean time, I brought my carpet clean machine to clean the carpet and got lots of other minor parts corrected in a very cost effective way so that I can still return full deposit to the desperated tenant who had no choice but broke the lease.
I believe CASH is always the best thing, and when I helped homeless people in Greater New York area, I always give the homeless or panhandlers CASH. Why? For example, I used to give them something I though they would need and I thought I would need if I were a homeless, but it often wrong.
For example, I am an expert user of Entertainment coupon that always gives 50% off when you buy, say, McDonald or Burger King. But, you know, if I go use the coupon as a professional, the coupon is often granded, but if I gave those coupons to the homeless, when they use, the coupon were NOT granted. This is aparently discrimination, but it is very real. So, what I did became use coupons to buy breakfast or lunch for the homeless and eat with them. Or I use the coupon to save money and give that CASH to the homeless.
If one going to spend an hour and $20 to buy those items in the goodie bag, I would just give $20 to the homeless person. It is easier and it can be done anytime. For example, I might bring my goodie bags on my way to work and hit now homeless on the street, or when I encountered homeless people on subway, I do not have the goodie bags with me.
So, eventually, I have copies of lists of all the good soup kitchens and shelters in NYC area in my bag, and a copy of open letter to help homeless get off street with a red envelop of $100 so that they could spend $30 to buy one way bus ticket to take Susquehanna Trailways at track #14 of Port Authority at Manhattan to Hazleton PA and pay $50 to check in Maple Cottage Hotel for ONE WEEK stay, and the following morning report to Labor Ready office two blocks away and get paid every day at the end of each day and can pay for their next week hotel stay, and later rent a $200 apartment and continue moving up themselves.
Goodie bag is mentioned by Kelvin is because it is very difficult for people willing to help homeless in CASH, so there are all kinds of substitue. CASH is always the most important and useful thing for a homeless.
Don't turn the CASH you have to those items that homeless people may not need or has already or can buy at much lower price than you could. Don't every turn the CASH into gift certificate that make the CASH less useful. Just give the CASH to any homeless you feel you want to help the way you donate to any charity organization because any organization always has overhead, and your $100 donation could be eaten up, say, 35% or more...
Why NOT just give the CASH assistance to the homeless?
Treat Your Tenant Nice Can Reduce Homeless Families
I just rented out a one bedroom condo to a black couple who came from Harlem area of New York City. I did not check their credit, nor did I asked proof of income ...etc. I simply showed the unit to them, and they loved it, and I rented to them tonight at 10pm. I gave them the keys and they could move right in tomorrow, 10-31-02, because they have to move out of their place by November 1. They only gave me the deposit and were not able to pay me the 1st rent till November 7, 2002. I told them fine.
I told them all of my tenants sent me Christmas cards and said "Mr. Cheng, You are the best landlord in the world." Yes, I never checked the credit of any of my prospective tenants, nor make them sign lease at lawyer office; I simply rent the condo to the first prospective tenant who love the condo and can move right in. They told me they had a very difficult time finding an apartment, and if they had not met me, they may have to go to social service for help or become homeless because they do not have enough money to pay both first month rent and deposit at the same time before their current deposit to be released after they move out their current place.
I want to tell all the landlord in this country that the tenant default rate is only around 3% and may go up to 4% during bad economy, and even the tenant could not pay the rent on time, they will almost always catch up. Being a landlord of many rental properties for past 20 years, I never did credit check on any of my tenants, NONE owe me a penny. The worst case was a teacher who could not pay me rent for 3 months due to a car accident at out of state, but she catches up and now with me for 7 years.
US Government Should Provide Child Support to Parents
Sister McGeady mentioned in Nun rescues troubled shelter and its youths helped lots of homeless kids run away from their home, and she blames the breakdown of the American family for so many children leaving home. It is very true, but I want to tell you that the major reason American family breakdown is financial reason, and I have realized the solution is for the US Government to provide Cash Child Support on a monthly basis to the children's parents, just like the divorced father paying the child support to his children till a certain age when children can be independent.
Why is the responsibility to raise an American kid is the parents, NOT the US Government? And, as soon as the kid grow up and well educated and start working, the US Government tax them? If the parents of their children are responsible for raising them and educate them, they should be the only people obtain part of the income of their children, NOT the US Government through IRS. On the other hand, if US Government want to tax them, they should provide child support to the parents to raise their children, just like a divorced father paying child support to the mother raising the children to certain age and can be independent. Think twice, if US Government is responsible for the child support, many American families would definitely not breakdown for reasons like father lost jobs, family could not afford the rent, parents fights about poor situation, no money to buy toys, pay education for children ...etc, that all contribute to a kid runaway from home.
Sell Donated Hotel and Use Proceeds to Prevent Unemployed Families from Evicted
New York Times article Bloomberg's Shift of Homeless to Hotels Alarms Some Neighborhoods by Joseph Bergen , talking about all sorts of complains from the neighborboods of a new sheltor converted from a donated Best Western hotel. It could have been better if the donee, Salvation Army, sold the donated Best Western hotel and use the proceeds as cash assistence to those who lost job and was going to be evicted by the landlord because the donated Best Western could have been sold to a lower profile buyer and continue stay as a hotel joining different more economic hotel chains like Econo Lodge, Motel 6 or Super 8, and the like. The local ecology could be impacted the least and provides lower cost hotel rooms during market downturn while continute generating tax to the City. On the other hand, the proceeds could be used as cash assistance to prevent prospective homeless families from being evicted by the landlord during their unemployed period. This would benefit everyone and prevent the family from becoming homeless, this includes helping the landlord who has to pay the mortgage, property tax, maintenance fee...etc. The family ecology of the the landlord, jobless tenant could be preserved.
The scenario is particularly meaningful by knowing the cost for the city to pay for such converted sheltor room is $93 a day, and averagely a homeless family would need help for 11 months. This implies about $2,700 a month to help an evicted homeless family, and it could cost only $1,000 a month to prevent the eviction. And, with the cash assistance, it would take much shorter than 11 months to find a new job. And the neighborhood of the old Best Western will not notice anything but a rename of the hotel under new owner and management which is very normal. The above suggestion is good for general hotel or real estate donation to charity organization because it includes a scenario of outsourcing the sheltor function and take the initial capital for critical core function. Any affordable hotel is itself an income generating sheltor.
Posted at: 10/19/02 12:15:44 AM
Posted by: Mr Cheng (as entered by poster)
Give the left over food to homeless making the homeless 2nd class citizens as the standard practice of this country. It would be more creative to extend 1 more hour of the cafeteria for the homeless or low income and mark down the left over food, say, some 90% off and some 50%, depends on the popularity. Eating at the cafeteria making homeless feel warmer and feel safe and respected. The cafeteria could enforce the dressing and appearance of the homeless entering the cafeteria of the college so that people can not distinquish the difference. Most homeless have some cash income from social security or part time or even full time job, and greatly discount could be affordable while preserving the dignity of the homeless who are also human being.
At last minutes, it could also, say, wrap up 10 bagels for 50 cents, or the like that would encourage the homeless take the left over home for later and for their peer could not come. We all agree the food eating at a nice cafeteria has more value than, say, eating in a crowd basement room. So, by transporting the food from a nice college cafeteria to a sheltor area makes the value of food dropped substentially. College campus is always full of resources, and many homeless people may apply for jobs in college cafeteria or other area once they know the college well; they may also be able to use the libraries where most time are very few students. I have helped many homeless that way when I was at UC Berkeley, and I have helped many ex homeless people working at student cafeteria at Rutgers University near me in NJ, and it works fine. I can see all it will work because I am one of very few homeless solution expert that have daily hands on experience helping homeless to get off street using my own hard earn money. For more homeless solutions, see http://homeless123.blogspot.com
Encourage College Students Find Affordable Housing for Homeless
Reading Students spend a night being homeless by Scott Sisco on Bowling Green Daily News, KY on 10-17-02 , I feel the activity may be very educational and that fit into the spirit of the proposed Homeless Awareness and Prevention Education Program. But it would be much more constructive if there is an activity for the college students to find solutions to accomodate local homeless people by finding affordable housing for the homeless.
College students usually have warm hearts with similar tight financial situation as the homeless but have local knowledge of the affordable housing, such as a furnished room or a cheap apartment. The homeless people can easily find affordable and safe housing and due to the locality, they could also take advantage of the resources of the college as well and feel safe making friends with college students or even having them as housemates. Further more, the college students may help the homeless to find a job since neighborhood of college tends to have lots of quick starting jobs like on campus cafeteria or outside restaurants. I have done that when I was at college and even now getting homeless to live around a local university; I know it works.
The Boston Herald article City unveils plan to help homeless families find housing reminds me on all the pain I incurred helping a homeless family looking for housing qualified for Section 8 Program several years ago. The Section 8 program required them to rent 3 or 4 bedroom house due to the size of the family, single mother with 5 sons, but the money was much lower than the market rent. Even worse, due to such mission impossible or hard situation, dozens of the realtors contacted were not willing to serve with all sorts of excuse. Also, no apartment complex in the area had 3 or 4 bedroom unit available, mostly, one or two bedroom, and individual home owner were not interested in at all.
The situation could have been much easier if, say, Section 8 could provide market rent or could allow this family to rent a one or two bedroom condo or townhouse because there are lots of them available at the time and the money Section 8 provided them was enough for that. Allow a homeless family living at sheltor with much smaller size like a hotel room or share bath hostel to quickly move up to a one or two bedroom apartment with kitchen and own bathroom would not only help the family but help those who were rejected or waiting for a sheltor room.
From: "Mayor24hr" | This is Spam | Add to Address Book
To: 'wjcheng@yahoo.com'" Subject: RE: Section 8 requirements
Date: Wed, 16 Oct 2002 12:38:04 -0400
Mr. Cheng: Your suggestions do make good points, but Section 8 rules are set by the Federal Government; cities and towns are obligated to follow their requirements regarding space per family size ratios and the level of subsidy assistance.
The organization National Alliance to End Homelessness says that their mission is to mobilize the nonprofit, public and private sectors of society in an alliance to end homelessness. The goal is very aggressive, but we have to admit that homelessness can not be ended. You may help a homeless person to get off street or help a homeless family to obtain a Section 8 sponsored housing, but that's only for case by case. The homelessness will always exist. Once one admit the homelessness will never ended, one would not dedicated much resources to try to coordinate lots of organizations that normally wasted lots of resource on administration and breauracracy.
For example, Expert: homeless support lacking. Louisville ranks low in housing beyond shelters mentioned they spent $100,000 just to do a report in respond to NAEH called. Also, in The veteran homeless: A shadowy population struggles to survive Monday, October 14, 2002, veteran homeless sleeping in the woods told the reporter that the agency told them to keep coming back and there are lots of papers to deal with on and on, and sometimes they just received $5 McDonald certificate and bus pass. I would say just use that $100,000 to get homeless off street directly. And cut the agency helping the veteran homeless and give them the money directly. Giving the homeless money directly and monthly would sure to get them off street. I know it works because that's the way I have been doing to get homeless people off street. I never had an illusion or ambition to end homelessness, so I can easily helped hundreds of thousands of homeless people off street with my own money. However, anyone or organization trying to set such a huge goal and missioin impossible goal may eat up lots of up front money and go nowhere.
Walking on the street at New York City, I will give the homeless panhandler $20 bill to help him. Why? Because I do not think a coin or even a dollar bill will make much help, and giving the homeless $20 bill would not make me poor. If I encountered too many homeless people, I would skip my lunch or dinner to get my budget balanced. Sometimes, I have to postpone buying a video game to my sons, but which is well justified. Seeing The veteran homeless: A shadowy population struggles to survive , I feel that we should have more people willing to give $20 bill to the homeless they see. $20 bill will not only help the homeless we encountered in more meaningful way but also make the homeless feel warm from the society and do not feel that much hopeless.
One evening I was rushing to catch the train with a colleague. On the way, I gave $20 bill to an old homeless panhandler; I heard two people yelled at the same time. My colleague said "...You are crazy, do you know what he use the money for? ...etc." And the homeless said "Sir, did you give me the wrong bill? all I need is a $1 bill; I am afraid that you pick up the wrong bill and not having enough money to buy ticket home..." I told me colleague "... Well, it is none of my business, and I have no time and interest to know. Isn't that the company give us paycheck and ask no question as to what we use the money for?" I told the homeless person "... Please do not worry, it is my dinner money but I can eat in tonight, you have a good night..."
Provide Homelessness Awareness and Prevention Education Program in School
While wearing the DARE ( Drug Abuse Resistance Education) Tshirt of my kid and attending DARE graduation, I was wondering it may be very important to have a similar education program to teach students about homelessness and try to prevent it from happening to themselves when they grow up, just like DARE to prevent them from using drug.
The article Newfound Area School District’s homeless liaison is safeguard for homeless students mentioned the new law — the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act — requires every state to have a homeless coordinator and every school district a homeless liaison just went into effect on July 1, 2002. I feel that this was a big step forward, and the state coordinator and district liaison of homeless education that ensure stable education for kids from homeless family may further be supplemented with the Homelessness Awareness and Prevention Education program.
The program may teach students that everyone could become homeless due to various reasons like car accident, discharge from hospital, domestic violence, landlord sold the house, lost job...etc. The program may teach student where and how to find help should any of the situations happened or going to happen so that they will not get stuck when those situations do happen sometime in their life. The program should teach students save a portion of their income and never waste so that they will have much better chance to prevent homelessness from happening. It would be very important to teach the students how to help those homeless people and families, at least, they would not discreminate the homeless when they grow up.
The Boston Herald article City unveils plan to help homeless families find housing reminds me on all the pain I incurred helping a homeless family looking for housing qualified for Section 8 several years ago. The Section 8 program required them to rent 3 or 4 bedroom house due to the size of the family, single mother with 5 sons, but the money was much lower than the market rent. Even worse, due to such mission impossible or hard situation, dozens of the realtors contacted were not willing to serve with all sorts of excuse. Also, no apartment complex in the area had 3 or 4 bedroom unit available, mostly, one or two bedroom, and individual home owner were not interested at all.
The situation could have been much easier if, say, Section 8 could provide market rent or could allow this family to rent a one or two bedroom condo or townhouse because there are lots of them available at the time and the money Section 8 provided them was enough for that. Allow a homeless family living at sheltor with much smaller size like a hotel room or share bath hostel to quickly move up to a one or two bedroom apartment with kitchen and own bathroom would not only help the family but help those who were rejected or waiting for a sheltor room.
Require All Mayors in the US Two Weeks of Homeless Life
I have always believed the service providers should themselves use their services in order to understand the quality of their service and improve it at the customer's view. So, I was always wondering if it could be made a law that require the mayors of the US to experience homeless life for, say, two weeks, for the term, and live through as many sheltors in the city as possible to find out the first hand feeling and pain of a homeless person. I was glad to see the news article Candidates for Mayor Break Down Homeless Issues from The Daily Californian that Mayoral candidates of Berkeley, CA, Tom Bates and Shirley Dean accepted a challenge from a homeless advocate Friday to become homeless for a weekend if elected.
Since many homeless people are NOT jobless; they are working hard but just the wage is much less than the living wage. I believe during day time the mayors can still working at the mayor's office like many homeless working at their jobsite, but, during night time, the mayors would go to sleep at a sheltor as other homeless people. I really would like to see some mayors got their wallet stolen in the sheltor, got bitten like other new homeless people, are forced to go to bed very early and thrown out at 4:45am or 5:15am ...etc. And, during lunch time, wait in the long line of the soup kitchen especially during raining or snowing day.
Reading a news article about homeless research by Helen Gardiner, a researcher with the University of Calgary, I found one of the so called surprising result is that the homeless need a free transit pass to find job. However, it is not surprising to me at all, but it costs $60,000 to do the research. In New York City, whenever I saw a homeless need help on the way to and from work, I bought a New York City Subway weekly pass ($17) for him or her. This way s/he can move around in the New York City. During raining or snowing day, they could sleep on the 24 hour subway if they find no other shelter.
I also have copies of the list of churches or charity organization providing food and sheltor with time, phone numbers and address. So I could help the homeless as soon as they stand up in the subway and start begging "... I am a homeless, just got out of detox, and I am hungry...", or panhandlers on the street when I passed by. As you can see, a free transit pass is so important for the homeless not only for the purpose of finding a job. They have to be able to move around in the City to attached distributed resources.
I have been helping lots of homeless people in the Greater New York area using my own money and accumulated lots of knowledge of helping all kinds of homeless people get off street in a very cost effective way. Sometimes, I feel I am at the Ph.D level on the subject of homeless issue, whereas many homeless articles from newspaper are just at the grammer school level, so I always wanted to share my homeless expertise to the homeless, charity organizations, government agencys.
Recently, I came across a homeless article from USA Today discribe a homeless person's blog documenting his daily homeless life experience; I studied through his blog and decided to create this Homeless123 blog to share my homeless expertise to help those who think it is hard to get out of homelessness and want to help homeless people start new life.
